Left For Dead

Excess Boulevard Wheat beer gets new life in a collaboration with J. Rieger & Co.

Leftover kegs of Boulevard Wheat beer will soon be distilled by J. RIeger & Co. in a new spirit called Left For Dead.

By Melissa Graham

The newest drink collaboration in Kansas City will please both whiskey and beer drinkers alike. J. Rieger & Co. and Boulevard Brewing Company have teamed up to turn leftover Boulevard Wheat beer into a distilled spirit called Left For Dead.

The spirit, bottled at 89 proof, will come just in time for summer.

“Distilling beer is really exciting because I don’t know exactly what each batch is going to taste like,” said Nathan Perry, head distiller for J. Rieger & Co., said in a press release. “With the broad spectrum of beer that Boulevard produces, we will end up with a variety of batches that are each distinct and incredibly flavorful.”

Left For Dead Batch 1 will first be available to the public June 18 and 19 at Boulevardia, Boulevard’s annual beer festival in the West Bottoms. The distilled spirit will be incorporated into a “treasure hunt,” where participants who finish the hunt will receive a complimentary bottle.

Bars, restaurants and retail stores in Kansas City will offer Left For Dead beginning June 27.